TrueCar announced Wednesday that chief financial officer Jantoon Reigersman will also take on the role of chief operating officer starting Tuesday.
Part of his role will be to lead the launch of TrueCar+, a two-sided marketplace the company designed to fully digitize car-buying.
TrueCar is currently piloting that platform in Florida and aims to have it statewide by the end of the second quarter.
Reigersman has been TrueCar’s CFO since January 2021.
“As our chief financial officer, Jantoon has been a key contributor to developing our business strategy and advancing new key initiatives and offerings, including TrueCar+,” TrueCar president and chief executive officer Mike Darrow said in a news release. “This appointment allows him to expand his contributions to accelerate our growth and transformation.”
Reigersman added: “I’m excited to take on this expanded role at such a pivotal time for the company. TrueCar+ is an innovative product offering that will revolutionize the car-buying experience for consumers, while simultaneously helping our dealer customers achieve greater efficiency.”
Autosled reinforced its leadership team this week, as the company aims to make vehicle logistics/transportation more efficient and simpler through technology.
Joining Autosled as vice president of business development is Bart Schuster, while coming aboard as vice president of data and analytics is David Darden.
While Darden has arrived from outside the automotive industry, Schuster is intimately familiar with wholesaling and retailing vehicles since he has more than 24 years of automotive experience — 13 years in retail dealerships and 11 years working for various OEMs.
Most recently, Schuster worked as a regional general manager for Nissan, guiding the region’s dealers to increase customer satisfaction and profitability.
Autosled said Schuster’s expertise in successfully developing and implementing both business relationships and customer loyalty comes at a pivotal time for the company’s nationwide growth.
In this role, Autosled said Schuster will oversee its nationwide sales expansion efforts, strategic OEM partnerships and the Federal sector division.
“Bart’s background in logistics, retail dealership operations and OEM regional management provides the exact type of experiences that are pivotal as Autosled continues to scale,” Autosled co-founder and chief revenue officer David Sperau said in a news release.
“His deep-rooted connections with dealer principals throughout the United States, as well as his reputation within the Nissan, Volkswagen, and Audi families has already proved instrumental in Autosled’s growth,” Sperau continued.
Meanwhile, Darden joins Autosled as a seasoned data engineering and analytics leader from outside of automotive. Autosled highlighted Darden brings more than 20 years of experience in the technology industry with companies ranging from start-ups to Fortune 50 companies.
Before joining Autosled, Darden was the director of business intelligence engineering at Big Fish Games, one of the world’s largest producers and distributors of casual games. He built the big data platform to drive business decisions and analytics with data-driven decision-making as a core company competency.
After Churchill Downs acquired Big Fish, Darden also designed and led distributed teams to create new data platforms and products for other companies across the corporation.
Darden then refined his skills as the director of data and analytics at Palmetto, where he led the team that built a modern data platform to support a clean technology software and fulfillment platform.
Autosled said Darden’s expertise will be a vital part of creating the next-generation automotive transportation logistics platform at the company to continue its expansion in the $18 billion vehicle transport industry.
“David’s extensive experience in data analytics and customer gamification are things that Autosled wants to leverage in order to help build programs and incentives that match the needs of our customers — both shippers and transporters,” Sperau said.
“The experiences that he brings, having worked with marketplaces, online gaming companies and Microsoft, make him a great addition to Autosled’s leadership team,” Sperau went on to say.
We begin this auction news roundup in Ohio, where Value Auto Auction has named a new general manager.
Appointed to the GM role at this Crooksville auction is Carrie Thomas, who was most recently director of sales.
Thomas became director of sales last year after five years as an outside sales representative for the auction.
“It is with tremendous pride and excitement that we have chosen to place Carrie Thomas in the role of general manager at Value Auto Auction,” Value Auto Auction president and owner Chad Bailey said in a news release from ServNet, of which the auction is a part.
“Her passion and dedication to the employees and customers, coupled with her fire to serve as a leader within this organization, community and industry, is contagious. I am 100% confident that Carrie will spearhead The Value Way, defining this auction as the gold standard for many years to come,” said Bailey, who also owns Akron Auto Auction and is president of ServNet.
Value Auto Auction was acquired by Akron Auto Auction in June.
Thomas added: “The idea that passion comes from being part of something you believe in, something bigger than yourself, is a guiding principle of my life.
“Many of my colleagues will tell you that I am very passionate about what I do, especially in helping others grow. A leadership role is an important one, and I am honored to be given this opportunity to be help grow Value Auto Auction to reach its highest potential with Chad Bailey and the team. I’m looking forward with excitement to our future,” she said.
ServNet to open scholarship applications next month
In other news involving ServNet, the auction group has opened its 2022 Scholarship Program, which assists ServNet auction employees and their families with higher education expenses, be it college or vocational schools.
The auction group is providing up to 10 awards totaling $20,000 for undergraduate students for the 2022-23 academic year.
Five of those would be awards of $2,500 each for students attending a four-year college/university, and five would be awards of $1,500 each for those attending a two-year college or pursuing an automotive-related degree at a vocational/technical school. More info is available at https://www.servnetauctions.com/servnet-scholarship-program.
Applications will be available March 10, with the deadline of 3 p.m. (CT) on April 20. ServNet will announce the award recipients in May.
The Scholarship Program was launched in 2016 and is among several education-related endeavors ServNet has pursued.
“As the leaders of family-owned businesses. ServNet owners take a deep personal interest in their employees,” ServNet administrative director Robert Sullivan said in a news release. “ServNet’s scholarship program encourages the members of our auction families and helps lay the groundwork for the next generation that follows.”
A former Cox Automotive executive now is part of the leadership team at Automotive Innovations (Ai), which offers an all-in-one solution that can allow dealers to replace multiple tools, increase profits and get real-time visibility into their business
On Monday, Ai announced the appointment of veteran automotive executive Darrel Ferguson as vice president of sales.
The company said through a news release that Ferguson will be responsible for leading Ai’s go-to-market strategy, driving business growth with both new and existing customers.
Ferguson is drawing upon past auto industry experience spanning over three decades, including retail, general management, and dealer principal roles, to further Automotive Innovations’ national expansion plans.
“Bringing Darrel on is a huge win for our company. He is a strategic sales leader with an incredible track record,” said Hoss Devine, chief executive officer and founder of Automotive Innovations. “Darrel has a strong background in performance management leadership combined with hands-on knowledge gained from working both in dealerships and with leading vendors, including Cox Automotive.
“He knows how to help dealers achieve profitability, improve efficiency and satisfaction. This makes him well-positioned to lead our sales organization as we continue to evolve and expand,” Devine continued in the news release.
Before joining Ai, Ferguson was director of performance management at Xtime, a Cox Automotive division offering fixed operations software servicing for more than 7,000 dealerships, generating approximately $150 million in annual revenue.
And before that position, Ferguson served as the director of performance management for another Cox Automotive segment, vAuto, with its inventory management software servicing more than 10,000 dealerships with $250 million in annual revenue.
Rounding out more than 30 years in the automotive industry, Ferguson also spent six years as general manager and partner at two large, franchised dealerships.
Commenting on why he chose to join Automotive Innovations, Ferguson said, “I was blown away the first time I got to see the software. It truly is the most powerful automotive management tool I have ever seen, but even better it was created by a car guy, so it is intuitive for car people.
“I believe it is time for dealers to have better options custom-tailored to their operations. For far too long we have been forced to conform to big companies' ideas of how things should be. My background as a dealer makes me appreciate what we have created at Ai,” he continued.
The company explained that Ai can consolidate six core dealer products into one 360-degree operating solution for a comprehensive and accurate suite of analytics and operational tools.
“The solution was founded on simplicity, one login, and one price, to positively impact business in the moment — not in retrospect,” the company said.
Ai's automotive solutions are designed to increase sales and gross profits in the showroom, F&I office, and on the service drive, at a fraction of the price of acquiring these solutions independently.
To learn more, visit https://automotiveinnovations.com or call (833) 794-0810. To schedule a time to see Ai at NADA Show 2022, go to this website.
Reynolds and Reynolds wants to be an important conduit in connection with dealership, automakers and the rest of the industry.
So, on Thursday, the company announced today the expansion of its customer ambassador initiative with the addition of a new industry relations role.
Reynolds explained the goal of the new position — which is being take on by Shawn Leibold —will be to establish closer working relationships with the various industry groups and associations that dealers work with in running their businesses.
“We recognize the important role many industry groups play for dealers and OEMs,” Reynolds vice president of customer relations and chief customer ambassador Dave Bates said in a news release. “To put more substance behind our involvement with these groups, we are adding a dedicated role on our team.”
Bates highlighted that Leibold joins Reynolds with more than two decades of prior customer relations leadership at the company and, more recently, with the Western & Southern Tennis Tournament, a top professional tennis event and one of the last stops on the U.S. Open Series prior to the U.S. Open.
“I have known Shawn since he started with Reynolds and have long admired his skill in working with customers and customer groups,” Bates said. “As we continue working to aggressively grow our footprint in automotive, deepening our partnerships with associations and key influencers is critical.
“Shawn’s background and skills fit perfectly for this role and we are thrilled to have him as a part of our team,” Bates continued.
Leibold, who has been a director of business development outside the automotive industry for the past 12 years, said he’s excited to be back at Reynolds with the company’s renewed focus on industry partnerships.
“As we look to the future, it’s clear now is the time to build and strengthen meaningful relationships across the automotive ecosystem,” Leibold said in the news release. “We have an opportunity to reimagine how we all work together with the ultimate goal of continued dealer and manufacturer success.
“Reynolds has a storied 150-plus year history and I couldn’t be more excited to help build on that tradition alongside some of the best people in the industry,” he continued. “But most importantly, I’m looking forward to fulfilling this new position of responsibility — and that means bringing a proactive and collaborative mindset to our industry relationships, listening to their input, and forging a constructive path forward together for the benefit of all parties.”
EchoPark Automotive has its first-ever chief operating officer.
Parent company Sonic Automotive said Thursday that it has promoted Tim Keen to the position, where he will focus solely on expanding the line of used-car stores nationally.
Keen was most recently executive vice president of operations for both Sonic and EchoPark, a role he had held since 2018.
He has been with Sonic for 15 years, including time as divisional vice president of EchoPark. In that post, Keen helped both build the EchoPark model and launch its first locations in Denver.
In his most recent post as EVP of operations, Keen oversaw Sonic’s franchised and EchoPark dealerships. Now, he will focus squarely on EchoPark's national expansion.
He will report to Sonic president Jeff Dyke, who said in a news release: “I have tremendous respect for and trust in Tim, having worked with him for the past 30 years. We have big plans for EchoPark Automotive, and focusing Tim’s operational expertise, tenacity, and commitment to teammate development solely on the growth of EchoPark will help us achieve our goals as we continue to invest in the long-term success of the nationwide pre-owned vehicle segment.”
David Smith, who is the chief executive of Sonic and EchoPark, said in the release: “We are thrilled to promote Tim to COO of EchoPark Automotive. Tim’s dedication to EchoPark since inception, combined with his track record of operational success, make him the perfect fit to lead the team and drive our expansion plans in 2022 and beyond.”
Keen added: “It’s been an honor to work with our franchised dealerships over the past three years and collaborate with our manufacturing partners. I’m excited to jump back into EchoPark full time and work alongside our dedicated teammates as we continue to introduce our exceptional experience to new guests nationwide.”
IHS Markit subsidiary automotiveMastermind, which also goes by aM, will have new chief executive officer on April 1.
Replacing co-founder Marco Schnabl as CEO will be chief operating officer Matt Leone.
Schnabl will remain with the organization in a leadership counsel role, while also providing partnership guidance for the transportation business at IHS.
Leone has been with aM since April 2020.
“I am very excited for Matt and the entire automotiveMastermind organization,” Schnabl said in a news release. “Matt’s extensive experience scaling Software as a Service companies combined with his passion for creating a high-performing culture make him the perfect leader to take automotiveMastermind to the next level.
“It’s been extremely rewarding to lead the company for the past 10 years, and I can’t thank our employees and dealer partners enough for helping us build automotiveMastermind into the organization it is today,” Schnabl said. “I look forward to continuing to support the team through the experience and relationships I’ve gained during my career in the automotive industry.”
In the release, Leone added: “I am humbled by the opportunity to lead automotiveMastermind as CEO, and I’m thankful to Marco and our leadership team for trusting me to do so. It’s been an incredible journey these past two years, and I’m proud of how our team has developed creative ways to support dealerships during a very challenging time. I’m eager to keep growing professionally alongside my colleagues as we continue to make automotiveMastermind the best employer for our team and the best partner for dealerships.”
IHS acquired aM in 2017. Edouard Tavernier, who is executive vice president of transportation at IHS, said in the release:“I’ve enjoyed working closely with Matt over the past two years, and I am excited about him stepping into the CEO role.
“Matt has been instrumental in steering automotiveMastermind through COVID-19 challenges and post-pandemic supply chain disruptions. The business has done really well and is emerging from this period in an even strong position than it was two years ago. Matt and his leadership team have a wonderful foundation to build upon.”
Motormindz, Inc. said Tuesday it has named former CDK Global and AutoNation executive Ron Frey as a strategic advisor to its board.
Frey is the founder of RL Frey Inc.
“Ron’s ability to develop, operationalize, and drive key strategic priorities will be vital as we continue to navigate rapid growth on a global scale,” motormindz president Jason Stein said in a news release.
“We are elated Ron is joining forces with us on this very exciting journey.”
Frey added: “I am delighted to be advising the motormindz Board and working with Jason Stein, who has a unique perspective and deep understanding of the automotive industry, as he advances his vision for the company.
“Now more than ever, there is a need for a highly-specialized autocentric consultancy to help business of all sizes navigate this dynamic landscape,” he said.
J.D. Power announced a round of vice president appointments Monday, largely centered on electric vehicles, mobility and connectivity.
The company has hired former Stellantis executive Elizabeth Krear — who was the automaker’s head of product planning for the Jeep Grand Wagoneer and electrified body-on-frame SUVs and trucks — as the VP of the new EV practice at J.D. Power.
Former Lordstown Motors chief engineer Jack Dolan has been hired as VP of product quality performance improvement.
J.D. Power has named longtime executive Dave Sargent to the role of VP and head of the newly created connected vehicle practice.
Kristin Kolodge has been promoted to Sargent’s former role as VP of head of auto benchmarking and mobility development.
“The automotive industry is undergoing massive disruptions, and our customers are counting on us to help them make critical business decisions and seize opportunities,” said Doug Betts, president of the automotive division at J.D. Power, in a news release.
“Acquiring and redeploying talented leadership for these critical areas of vehicle electrification and connected vehicle data will help keep us on the leading edge of data analytics.”
Extending a string of executive modifications, Dent Wizard International recently promoted Cory Lyda to vice president of operations through a move the company said was effective Jan. 1.
In his new role, Dent Wizard highlighted Lyda will serve primarily as the field liaison for the corporation and oversee product-related initiatives.
The company added that Lyda also will continue his role in managing Dent Wizard’s key services, a growing segment of the company’s business.
Lyda joined Dent Wizard in 2010 as an interiors repair tech and was promoted to a variety of roles including market manager, district manager and regional operations director in the Mid-Atlantic Region.
“Cory’s broad knowledge and customer focus has earned him the reputation of a true and committed leader,” Dent Wizard chief executive officer Mike Black said in a news release. “He is the personification of the Dent Wizard spirit. I could not be more excited about Cory’s future in his new role.”
The company announced three executive promotions earlier this month as well as a new president in December.
